Sunday, April 25, 2010

Zoo on the River

The plan to move the Sacramento Zoo to a site along the American River consultants say is too expensive is the best plan and those involved in the issue need to rework their strategy and find a way to make it work.

What may seem too expensive right now may not seem so a few years down the road, and being able to have the Zoo along the American River would be a wonderful boon to that area of the city and the Parkway with an influx of legitimate family oriented activity to an area currently too prone to illegal homeless camping and the related crime.

“A consultant told city and zoo officials earlier this month that expanding the zoo in its existing Land Park location is one of a half-dozen concepts worth considering. The recommendation came after the consultant determined that a proposal to move the zoo to Sutter's Landing Park on the banks of the American River would be too costly.

“The mere mention of expansion put the influential Land Park Community Association on high alert. Members of the group and neighborhood residents voiced their anger at a community meeting last week, where one woman called the idea "atrocious."

“The zoo, in turn, has been forced to act like a cornered badger. Zoo officials said they feel intimidated by the community association and cautioned that the idea of expansion in Land Park is merely one of several they are exploring with the community.

“A second public meeting is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hart Senior Center, 915 27th St. The issue will also be the focus of a City Council workshop this summer.”

This blog is part of the ongoing work of the American River Parkway Preservation Society to provide public education and advocacy around public policy issues that may be related to the Parkway and the adjacent communities along the American River in Sacramento, California.